Base Hydrolysis of Reinecke's Salt. Mechanism of the alkali dependent reaction path

The influence of NCS^? ion concentration on the rate of base hydrolysis of trans-[Cr(NK₃)₂(NCS)₄]^? complex has been examined. The form of the pseudo-first-order rate constants dependence on [NCS^?] is used as a criterion of the reaction mechanism. The mass-law (rate) retardation effect in the rate determining reaction stage suggests the D_CB mechanism for the alkali dependent path.     

Involvement of human small fragment nuclease in the resistance of human cells to UV-C-induced cell death

Human small fragment nuclease (Sfn) is one of the cellular proteins that were reported to degrade small, single-stranded DNA and RNA. However, the biological role of Sfn in cellular response to various stressors such as UV-C (mainly 254 nm wavelength ultraviolet ray) remains unclear. We have examined whether modulation of human SFN gene expression affects cell survival capacity against UV-C-induced cell death, analyzing colony survival ability in UV-C-sensitive human RSa cells treated with short double-stranded RNA (siRNA) specific for SFN messenger RNA (mRNA). The expression levels of SFN mRNA in the siRNA-treated RSa cells decreased to about 15% compared with those in the control siRNA-treated cells. The siRNA-treated RSa cells showed lower colony survival and higher activity of caspase-3 after UV-C irradiation than the control siRNA-treated RSa cells. Furthermore, the removal capacity of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPD) in the siRNA-treated RSa cells decreased compared with the control siRNA-treated RSa cells. There was no difference in the colony survival and CPD removal capacity after UV-C irradiation between the control siRNA-treated RSa cells and mock-treated RSa cells. These results suggest that SFN expression is involved in resistance of RSa cells to UV-C-induced cell death through the roles it plays in the DNA repair process.     

Inhibitory effects of tetragalloylglucose on the complex II of mitochondrial respiratory chain of Ascaris muscle

The effects of tetragalloylglucose (1,2,3,6-tetra-O-galloyl-beta-D-glucose) on purified complex II (succinate-ubiquinone oxidoreductase) of the mitochondrial electron transport system of Ascaris muscle were studied. Both succinate-ubiquinone-1 (Q1) oxidoreductase, and succinate dehydrogenase measured with 3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)- 2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide (MTT) in the presence of phenazine methosulfate (PMS) were inhibited by tetragalloylglucose. The inhibitions of both reductase activities of complex II were of competitive type, and the inhibitor constant (Ki) for Ascaris complex II (148 nM) was lower than that for rat liver complex II (1.5 microM). Thus, Ascaris complex II is much more sensitive to this inhibitor than the mammalian counterpart.     

Functional monomers and polymers. LXI. Photochemical reactions on the synthetic polymers containing thymine bases

Photodimerization of N-2-isobutyloxyethyl thymine (T-M), bis[2-(5-methyl-1-primidinyl)-ethyl] glutarate (T-T), poly(N-2-methacryloyloxyethyl thymine) (polyMAOT), and poly(N-2-acryloyloxyethyl thymine) (poly AOT) was studied in dimethylformamide solution. The rate of intramolecular photodimerization of polyMAOT and polyAOT was 5.7 and 7.2 times faster, respectively, than that of T-T. In T-M, however, intermolecular photodimerization did not occur under the reaction condition used. Quenching studies with isoprene suggest that the photodimerization of T-T occurs predominantly in an excited triplet state, whereas that of polyMAOT and polyAOT occur in singlet and triplet states. It was concluded that the photodimers of T-T, polyMAOT, and polyAOT are two syn-fused cyclobutane-type dimers (cis-syn and trans-syn). Quantum efficiencies of thymine base disappearance were determined by ultraviolet (UV) analysis to be 0.0012 for T-T, 0.0084 for polyMAOT, and 0.010 for polyAOT.     

Mechanistic Study on the Oxidation of Promazine and Chlorpromazine by Hexaimidazolcobalt(III) in Acidic Aqueous Media

The kinetics of the oxidation of promazine and chlorpromazine by hexaimidazolcobalt(III) were studied in the presence of a large excess of cobalt(III) and H⁺ ions using u.v.–vis. spectroscopy ([Co^III] = (1–6) × 10⁻³ m, [ptz] = (2.5–10) × 10⁻⁵ m, [H⁺] = 0.05–0.8 m, I = 1.0 m (H⁺, Na⁺, Cl⁻), T = 333–353 K, l = 1 cm). In each case, the reversible reaction leads to formation of cobalt(II) species and a stable cationic radical. A linear dependence of the pseudo-first-order rate constant (k_obs) on [Co^III] with a non-zero intercept was established for both phenothiazine derivatives. A marked difference in the observed reaction rate for promazine and chlorpromazine is associated with the difference in its ability to undergo oxidation and is consistent with a trend in the redox potential changes for these reductants. The activation parameters for reactions studied were determined. Mechanistic consequences of all the results are discussed.     

Efficient synthesis of thioesters and amides from aldehydes by using an intermolecular radical reaction in water

The combination of the water-soluble radical initiator, 2,2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane] dihydrochloride (VA-044) and the surfactant, cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB), was found to be the most suitable condition for the effective and direct synthesis of useful active thioesters (pentafluorophenyl thioesters) in water. In addition, the direct amidation of aldehydes was achieved by the addition of the amines to the thioesterification reaction mixture in water.     

Highly regioselective nucleophilic carbon-carbon bond formation on furans and thiophenes initiated by pummerer-type reaction

[reaction: see text] The reactions of (phenylsulfinyl)furans or -thiophenes with carbon nucleophiles in the presence of trifluoroacetic anhydride allowed the nucleophilic installation of carbon functional groups on the furan and thiophene nuclei with complete regioselectivity.     

Thermally induced sign change of Soret coefficient for dilute and semidilute solutions of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) in ethanol

We studied the thermal diffusion behavior of poly(N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNiPAM) in ethanol in a temperature range from T = 14.0 degrees C to T = 40.0 degrees C by means of thermal diffusion forced Rayleigh scattering. The obtained Soret coefficient S(T) of PNiPAM was positive for lower temperatures (T < 34 degrees C), while S(T) showed a negative value for higher temperatures (T > 34 degrees C). This means PNiPAM molecules move to the cold side for temperatures T < 34 degrees C, whereas they move to the warm side for T > 34 degrees C. This is the first nonaqueous polymeric system for which a sign change with temperature has been observed. We performed static and dynamic light scattering experiments in the same temperature range. The second virial coefficient determined from dilute solutions by static light scattering (SLS) was positive in the comparable temperature range. The results of SLS for the semidilute solution showed a strong repulsion among PNiPAM chains which was enhanced by increasing temperature. These results imply that the observed thermally induced sign change of S(T) does not depend on the intermolecular interactions among PNiPAM chains.     

Kinetics and mechanism of one dipicolinato ligand substitution in the chromium(III)–bis(dipicolinato) complex: an unusual rate dependence on acid concentration

The Na[Cr(PDA)₂] · 2H₂O complex (PDA¹ = dipicolinic acid anion) and its aquation product, [Cr(PDA)(H₂O)₃]⁺, were prepared and characterized. The electronic spectra demonstrate that the bis(dipicolinato) complex undergoes very fast partial dechelation during dissolution. In acidic media, pH controlled, rapid protolytic and ring opening processes lead to coexistence of complexes with one tridentate (PDA) and the other bi- or mono-dentate (PDA). The kinetics of PDA ligand liberation were followed spectrophotometrically within the 0.1–2.0 M HClO₄ range at I = 2.0 M. The observed first-order rate constant depends on [H⁺] according to the equation: k _obs = A[H⁺]/(1 + B[H⁺] + C[H⁺]²). A reaction course via the uncharged [Cr(PDA)(HPDA)(H₂O)₂]⁰ complex is proposed. The observed rate increase, followed by rate retardation with [H⁺] increase, is attributed to the unreactive [Cr(PDA)(H₂PDA)(H₂O)₂]⁺ complex. In terms of the proposed mechanism, A, B, C parameters have been defined as: A = k ₁ Q ₁, B = Q ₁, C = Q ₁ Q ₂ where k ₁ is the rate constant of the Cr^III-carboxylato oxygen bond-breaking in the monodentate HPDA ligand, Q ₁ is a composite value describing protolytic and dechelation processes and Q ₂ is the protonation constant of the uncharged [Cr(PDA)(HPDA)(H₂O)₂]⁰ complex.